FOP Focused On Youth Engagement During National Night Out

Indianapolis will join cities across the country, Tuesday, for National Night Out, an effort to fight back against crime and promote peace in communities.

This year, the city’s police union is using the event to build better relationships with kids. Leaders believe reaching them now will help keep them away from crime as they get older.

Indianapolis is on pace for the most murders for one year on record.

The FOP is focusing on youth outreach and crime prevention as a way to put a dent in the problem.

Vice President Rick Snyder says establishing trust with residents at a young age is crucial to them believing in police and helping to address some of the city’s major issues.

"Most people who have a positive view of police and what they do and interactions with the police, usually as you talk to them, it all goes back to some positive experience in their formative years with the McGruff type program and Officer Friendly type program," said Snyder.  "It's vitally important.  We really view it as an investment and it's an investment that has long term returns."

The FOP is using McGruff The Crime Dog as a way to engage young people.  Snyder says the mascot helps make police less intimidating.

The FOP also is working on a new building block effort to engage children that includes conversations on gun safety, bullying protection, drug awareness, and gang awareness.

Snyder says this model is aimed more at Indianapolis teens.

"Specifically the bullying prevention campaign, the McGruff program actually starts that effort beginning around nine years of age," he said.  "The FOP also is looking at established programs that are designed to specifically target high school age teens related to anti-bullying and frankly how that also leads to domestic violent prevention as well with teen relationships and things such as that."

Snyder says National Night Out is a way to raise awareness of the efforts and then build on them moving forward.

"It's another example where it's a structured opportunity, a planned opportunity for our officers and our community to meet, get to know one another," he said.